Bay Area Teams Trim Payrolls for 2008

The Bay area has seen a precipitous drop in MLB salaries as both franchises are trimming payrolls and probably wins for the 2008 season. The San Francisco Giants sans Barry Bonds has seen their 2007 team salary decrease from $90,219.056 to the relatively paltry $76,594,500.

The Oakland A’s (a Billy Beane Money Ball franchise) $79,366,940 in 2007 salaries is now down to $47,967,126.The Detroit Tigers in sharp contrast went on a spending spree $137,685,196 team salary is a sharp increase from 2007. Last year the team had a total team salary of $95,180,369. The auto industry may be on the ropes but that has not slowed down economics of Motor City Major League Baseball. The Tigers investments have already paid off.

The Tigers, who lost 119 games five years ago with a $49 million payroll, increased their payroll by $42.5 million from last year’s opening day and trail only the New York Yankees and Mets in payroll.

“We’re just trying to put the best club on the field as possible,” says Tigers President David Dombrowski, whose team has sold 2.6 million tickets, including a franchise-record 27,300 season tickets. “But economics always come into play.” USA Today

The Yankees at $209M once again lead the majors in salary expenditures. the mets arer second at $137.8 million. The BoSawx are third at $133.4 million.